🔗 Share this article Survivors of Church Clergy Sex Abuse Voice Optimism Following Meeting with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization representatives and survivors gather in St. Peter Square following the encounter with the Pontiff People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican. Gemma Hickey, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue. Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US. The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative. "We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked. Legacy Challenge The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades. Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse. Personal Connection For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes. "We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials." Historic Encounter Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence. The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative. The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada. Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable." "Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us." The Pontiff leads religious service in the Vatican on recently Church Regulations Changes The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide. They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff. "He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked. Responsibility Emphasized A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act." The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up." Moving Forward The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us." After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change. "We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated. Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."